Method of manipulating well tools



SEARCH ROOM 3 UNUIM MUEKUEUE Feb. 27, 1962 P. R. M STRAVICK ETAL IMETHOD OF MANIPULATING WELL TOOLS Filed April 11, 1960 LUBRICATOR FIG.

HVVENTORS SAMUEL E. LoY,m

PETER R. McSTRAVlCK,

ATTORNEX United States Patent METHOD OF MANIPULATING WELL TOOLS Peter R.McStravick and Samuel E. Loy III, Houston,

Tex., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Jersey Production ResearchCompany, Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 11, 1960,Ser. No. 21,312 3 Claims. (Cl. 166-4) This invention is directed to amethod for manipulating well tools in wells having an underwaterwellhead, and more particularly to a method for manipulating well toolsin a well having substantially horizontal flow lines connecting thecasing and tubing of a cased and tubed well to a remote operatinglocation.

The present invention is concerned with the manipulating of tools inwells such as are described in U.S. Patent No. 2,810,440, I. W. Kennedayet al. In connection with the invention, substantially horizontal flowlines are used to interconnect the tubing and casing of a tubed andcased well to a remote operating location, which may be located on dryland. It is necessary to send well tools horizontally through the flowline and down the tubing string of the well. This may be done by pumpingthe well tool down the well on the end of a flexible, elongated line,such as a wireline, which is played out as the tool moves horizontallythrough the flow line and downwardly through the tubing. The tool may beretracted from the well 'by reversing the pressure diflerential acrossthe tool by placing the flow line connected to the casing under fluidpressure with respect to the flow line connected to the tubing. Shouldthe stress in the wireline become too great, the line will break andconsiderable difliculty will be experienced in retrieving the tool fromthe flow line and the tubing. Likewise, when the tool is being retractedfrom the well, the pressure applied to the casing may be so great thatthe tool will overrun the wireline to seriously impede the retrievingoperation. In accordance with the teachings of the invention, electricalsignals are produced at the tool which are indicative of the stress inthe line between the operating location and the tool. The signals aretransmitted to the earths surface and the hydraulic pressure in the flowline is adjusted to maintain the stress in the wireline below a firstgiven stress while the tool is going down the well, and greater than asecond given stress while the tool is being retrieved from the well.

The present invention will be further described with reference to thedrawing, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic showings of a well drilled at an underwaterlocation illustrating two steps in the method of the present invention;and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of apparatus used for producing electricalsignals indicative of the strain in the wireline.

With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing in which identicalnumerals will be employed to designate identical components, numeral 2designates a well drilled from the water bottom 1 of a body of water 4at a substantial distance from the shoreline 28. Arranged in the wellbore 2 is a casing string 5 which is cemented in place in the well bore;the casing string 5 extends substantially to the depth of the well.Arranged in the casing 5 and coextending therewith from the earthssurface is a tubing string 11 having its lower open end 16 disposed at alevel above a hydrocarbon productive zone.

The tubing string 11 and the casing string 5 are suspended from awellhead 3 at the water bottom 1. A flow line or pipe 17 is connected tothe well-head 3 so as to be in fluid communication with the tubingstring 11. Similarly, a second flow line 15 is connected to the wellheadso as to be in fluid communication with the annulus be- 3,022,822Patented Feb. 27, 1962 tween the casing string and the tubing string.Flow line 17 has a short radius bend at the wellhead end thereof whichmay be of any desired degree. Both flow lines 15 and 17 extendsubstantially horizontally to a remote location which may be on dry landat the shore 28. The flow line 17 is provided with a lubricator 27 and ablowout preventer 35. Lubricator 27 is provided with a valve 26.Connected to the lubricator 27 by a laterally extending conduit 30 is apump 31 which connects to a fluid source, not shown. Flow line 15 alsois provided with a pump 29 which also is connected to the fluid source.The fluid source may be drilling mud, oil, fresh or salt water, or maybe a suitable treating agent of the types well known to the art.

Shown in FIG. 1 in the running-in position is a well tool 23 which isshown as being a tubular extension member. The tool 23 is connected tothe remote operating location by means of an electrical signal producingdevice, here shown as a strain gauge 19, and by an elongated wireline13. The line 13 may be a logging cable or a stranded line, as desired,and may have one or more electrical conductors associated therewith. Thewireline is wound or spooled on a reel or drum 37 having associatedtherewith apparatus for measuring the length of line run through andretracted from the lubricator. Suitable apparatus for this purpose isdescribed in the Composite Cata- 10g of Oil Field Equipment andServices, 19581959 edition, pages 2272 and 2273. The electrical leadsassociated with the line extend through the wireline reel and linemeasuring apparatus 37 to electrical leads 39 connected to a suitablemeter or electrical measuring equipment 41. The electrical equipment 41may be a pulse counting device or a current measuring device, as willbecome apparent from the following discussion.

Suitable landing nipples may be included at the lower end 16 of thetubing for the purpose of landing tubing extension and other apparatus,if such is so desired. The tool to be run into the well may havesuitable cup packer or packers 21 and expandable plug 25 associatedtherewith to facilitate pumping the tool into and out of the tubingstring 11 and flow line 17. Tool 23 is shown as being a tubingextension, but it is to be understood that a perforating gun, loggingsonde, fishing tool or other suitable tools may be used in connectionwith the invention.

The strain gauge 19 may be an apparatus such as is shown in U.S. PatentNo. 2,589,599, I. A. Bond et al. Other suitable strain gauges may beused as desired. The function of the strain gauge is to produceelectrical signals indicative of the stress in wireline 13, preferablyat or near well tool 23.

The well tool 23 is run into the flow line through the blowoutpreventers 35 and lubricator 27. When the well tool 23 is pumped throughthe flow line, the friction between the wireline 13 and the flow line 17will increase as the well tool 23 moves further and further away fromthe operating location. If a strain gauge were used to measure thestress in the wireline 13 at the operating location, the stress someasured would not be truly indicative of the stress in the line downthe well or in the flow line 17 The fluid pressure placed on the flowline 17 is varied in accordance with the electrical indications producedby the strain gauge 19 and transmitted back to the remote location sothat the signals do not exceed a predetermined magnitude indicative of apredetermined stress in the line as the well tool gets further andfurther away from the operating location. When it is desired to retractthe tool from the well, pump 31 is shut off and pump 29 is started up.The direction of fluid circulation will be as indicated by arrows 20(FIG. 2). The well tool will start up the tubing string. Manifestly,unless the correct tension is maintained in the line, either the linewill aoaasaa break or the well tool will overrun the wireline 13.Therefore, the electrical signals produced by the strain gauge 19 arekept greater than a predetermined magnitude While the tool is being runout of the well. As the tool proceeds up the tubing string 11 and outthe flow line 17, the pressure exerted on flow line 15 by pump 29 may begradually reduced.

In FIG. 3 there is shown another apparatus for producing electricalsignals indicative of the strain in the line. The apparatus is shown asbeing disposed in tubing string 11 suspended from wireline 13. Theapparatus comprises a suitable body member 43 connecting wireline 13 tothe tool (not shown). A roller member 47 is connected to one end of apivoted arm 45 which is aflixed to the body member 43 so as to pivotthereon in recess 51. A movable electrical contact 55 and a fixedelectrical contact 53 are disposed relative to a cam 57 driven by rollermember 47 so that the electrical contacts are closed with eachrevolution of theroller 47. j The arm 45 is spring-biased so that thewheel or roller member 47 is in engagement with the tubing string 11.Electrical connections 46 and 48 from the contact members 53 and 55 areelectrically connected to meter 41through the cable 13. A source ofelectrical energy (not shown) is included in the meter 41 in the usualmanner for ohmmeters so that an electrical pulse is produced on eachclosure of contact members 53, 55 and is indicated by the meter. Thefunction of the apparatus of FIG. 3 is to produce pulses indicative ofthe distance traversed by the well tool 23 as the well tool passesthrough the flow line 17 and the tubing string 11. Manifestly, as theroller member or wheel 47 rotates, an electrical pulse will be producedevery time it passes through a unit length of the flow line 17 andtubing string 11. The pulses may be counted by the electrical measuringapparatus 41 so as to provide an accurate indication of the actualdistance that the tool has travelled going into or out of the well. Byapplying the well known relationship F AL A L the stress in the line maybe readily determined. The quantity L may be determined from thereadings provided by the wireline reel and line measuring apparatus 37,the quantity AL may be determined from the difference between linelength as determined from the appa ratus 37 and the line length asdetermined from electrical signals produced by electrical measuringapparatus 41. The quantity Y is Youngs modulus of elasticity for theparticular cable used in connection with the apparatus and may bereadily determined. This apparatus will provide an indication of theaverage stress in the line between the operating location and the welltool. Manifestly, the maximum stress indicated in this manner must beless than that indicated by means of a strain gauge at the well toolwhile the tool is being run into the well and while it is beingwithdrawn from the well. 'However, the readings obtained with theapparatus of FIG. 3 will make it possible to manipulate the well tool inand out of the well without breaking the line and without overrunningthe line during the time that the tool is being retrieved from thetubing string.

The invention is not necessarily to be restricted to the specificstructural details or arrangement of parts herein set forth, as variousmodifications thereof may be effected without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

The nature and objects of the invention having been completely describedand illustrated, what we wish to claim as new and useful and to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a well in the earth having a casing extendingsubstantially the depth of the well, having a tubing string arranged insaid casing with a lower open end extending to a predetermined level,and having first and second substantially horizontal flow linesextending from said tubing string and said casing, respectively, to aremote operating location with the first horizontal flow line having asection of short radius connected to the tubing string, the methodcomprising: hydraulically pumping a well tool at the end of a flexibleline into the first horizontal flow line and down the tubing string;sensing the stress in the flexible line at the tool, and producingelectrical signals indicative of the stress sensed in the flexible line;transmitting the electrical signals to the operating location; varyingthe hydraulic pressure applied to the first horizontal flow line tomaintain the stress in the flexible,line'below a predetermined stress inaccordance with the electrical signals received at the remote operatinglocation while pumping the tool through the first flow line and down'thetubing string; reversing fluid pressure on the tool by hydraulicallypressurizing the casing through the second flow line; and maintainingthe stress in the flexible line-between the operating location and thetool above'apredetermined stress while said tool is moving up the tubingstring and out the first flow line. v t

2. In a well in the earth having a casing extending substantially thedepth of the well, having a tubing string arranged in said casing with alower open end extending to a predetermined level, and having first'andsecond substantially horizontal flow lines extending from said tubingstring and said casing, respectively, to aremote operating location withthe first horizontal flow line having a section of short radiusconnected'to the tubing string, the improvement comprising: a well tooladapted to be connected to a wireline; annular packer means connected tosaid tool and in sliding engagement with the inner surfaces of saidfirst flow line and said tubing string adapted to permit said well toolto be pumped into and out of said flow line; variable pressure pumpmeans connected to said first and second flow lines for selectivelypressurizing said first and second flow lines to move said tool into andout of said first flow line and the tubing string; a flexible, elongatedline connected to said tool and extending into-the first flow-line andtubing string; means operatively associated with said flexible line atthe remote operating location for reeling said flexible line; firstelectrical means operatively associated with the flexible line formeasuring the strain in the flexible line between the remote operatinglocation and the tool, and for producing electrical signals correlatableto said strain; conductor means associated with said first electricalmeans and said flexible line for conducting the electrical signals tothe remote operating location; and second electrical means associatedwith said first electrical means to measure said electrical signals.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the first electrical means isa strain gauge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,068,535 Crandall Jan. 19, 1937 2,253,537 Scaramucci Aug. 26, 19412,589,599 Bond et al Mar. 18, 1952 2,810,440 Kenneday et a1. Oct. 22,1957

